A look through a crystal ball at the next four years of Cavaliers basketball

At this point, here is what the majority of Cavaliers fans know about their team:1. Kyrie Irving is really, really good, and he seems to have the clutch gene LeBron James too often lacked in his Cleveland years.2. Tristan Thompson might be pretty good for years to come. Dion Waiters, too.3. The rest of the club is excellent but injury-prone (Anderson Varejao), serviceable (Tyler Zeller, C.J. Miles and Alonzo Gee) or, on his best day, a spare part (everyone else).4. There is a lot of salary-cap space reserved for future years, as we outlined here.5. Chris Grant likes draft picks almost as much as Joey Crawford craves national-television audiences.How promising is the Cavaliers' situation in the latter category?

According to research and help from a team source, here is how the Cavs' collection of picks could shake out the next four years. Keep in mind, as we wrote last week, there likely will be more trades like the one in which Jon Leuer was flipped for a decent big man (Marreese Speights) and a future first-round choice.

2013

The Cavs have a pair of first-round picks (theirs and Miami's), and could swap the Heat's late first-round pick with the Lakers' top pick, but only if Los Angeles makes the playoffs. The Lakers, after Sunday's impressive win over the Thunder, are four games behind the Rockets for the final postseason spot in the Western Conference. Should L.A. get in — and why not, when you consider one team should make it in the West between the Rockets, Trail Blazers, Lakers and Mavericks? — the Cavs likely would end up with two picks in the top 18.The Cavs have the league's third-worst record, so a third consecutive season with a top-four pick seems likely. They also have two second-round choices — theirs and Orlando's — which could fall in the top 35.Most likely scenario: Two first-round choices and two favorable second-round picks.

2014

The Cavs, barring another trade, likely will have only their pick in the first round. The first-round choice they are owed from the Kings, courtesy of the J.J. Hickson deal, is top-13 protected in 2013, top-12 protected in 2014 and top-10 protected from 2015-17, which makes it unlikely they will be rewarded in the coming years for what now looks like a rare bad deal by Grant.The Cavs also have three second-round picks, all of which could be favorable, depending on the direction of the Grizzlies — theirs, Memphis' and Orlando's.Most likely scenario: One first-round choice, two favorable second-round picks and one second-round afterthought (the choice from Memphis).

2015

This could be another very active draft for the Cavs, who should receive the second of the two first-round picks they are owed from Miami in the LeBron James “trade.” That pick is top-10 protected, which could be significant if James leaves the summer before for, say, Cleveland.The Cavs could also have a first-round pick from the Grizzlies, but only if it falls between Nos. 6 and 14. If Memphis deals Rudy Gay and continues to try and cut costs, Grant could have netted a lottery pick with last week's week deal of a second-year player who had appeared in nine games (Leuer).Most likely scenario: Two first-round picks (the Cavs' and Miami's) and one second-rounder.

2016

This is the year that would seem to be the most probable landing spot for the Memphis first-round choice. As is the case in 2015, the pick has to fall between 6 and 14. If the Cavs don't receive the Grizzlies' top choice in 2015 or 2016, they certainly should in 2017 (top-five protected) or 2018 (same). If the pick hasn't been traded by 2019, it is unprotected.The first-round choice from the Kings is top-10 protected from 2015-17. If the Cavs don't cash in by 2017, the choice becomes a second-rounder that year. Considering the Kings are 104-253 (a .291 winning percentage) since the 2008-09 season, I'd count on the Cavs getting only a second-round pick.

Most likely scenario: Two first-round picks (the Cavs' and Memphis') and one second-rounder.

The four-year tally

If you assume the Heat won't be among the top 10 in the 2015 draft, the Grizzlies will be bad enough to fall between 6 and 14 in 2016 and the Kings will continue to be, well, bad, the Cavs, prior to making more deals, would have seven first-round picks and seven second-round choices in the next four years.Remember, they used two early second-round picks in 2012 to move from No. 24 to No. 17 overall and select Zeller. Between the five combined second-round choices the next two years and Dan Gilbert's willingness to spend big money for a first-round pick (see the acquisition of Speights, who is making a combined $8.715 million this season and next), the Cavs should average at least two first-rounders a year through 2016.That likely won't lead to another Kyrie Irving.It might not even mean another Tristan Thompson.But it should mean quite a bit of depth.If the coveted cap space results in luring James back to town or an unexpected trade for a young All-Star, that depth, combined with Irving, Thompson, Waiters and a 2013 top-five pick, could bolster a prolonged run of success.It better, since it's only a matter of time before the “Will Irving re-sign with the Cavs?” stories start.You can follow me on Twitter for sports information, analysis and occasional grumbling while watching Waiters rely on his erratic jump shot.

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